Acceleration of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays in starburst superwinds

Understand

The sources of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) have been stubbornly elusive.

• However, the latest report of the Pierre Auger Observatory provides a compelling indication for a possible correlation between the arrival directions of UHECRs and nearby starburst galaxies.
• We argue that if starbursts are sources of UHECRs, then particle acceleration in the large-scale terminal shock of the superwind that flows from the starburst engine represents the best known concept model in the market.
• We investigate new constraints on the model and readjust free parameters accordingly.